mikeyfly

I don't like this comparison business - I just like to rate a crew on their performance. On Thursday my LAS flight had to divert to Phoenix due to weather. Fortunately we got to Vegas in the end (four hours later...) however the crew upstairs remained fantastic and upbeat despite their day getting much longer. I'll be submitting my thank you next week

Andriyko

Just as a question - do you think people should raise any issue with a CSM even if something is wrong but it does not make them unsatisfied? For example, on our last LHR-KBP flight in CE the cabin crew were sort of clueless, and started giving out passengers English breakfast without realizing that there was a choice. When we asked for the special meal for my husband we were brought another option from the regular selection, and only on the third try they delivered his special meal. I wanted cold cuts and they had no idea it existed (although I experienced the same with EF as well). When I wanted to buy Gin from the Duty Free I was told three times that they don't sell it on the E.U. flights, and when I pointed out that Ukraine was not in the E.U. I was told that they did not carry it on shorthaul flights, and only when I suggested that they check it appeared that they did carry it. Now, none of this spoiled our experience - it was a very nice flight. Should I have said something for the training purposes? I just thought that if I did say something it would seem like a complaint but I had no intention to complain, but it seems from your post that it is good to bring such things to the attention of the SMS to better the service, but the CSM was right there in the CE cabin, so he should have known that, for example, serving the English breakfast to everyone as the only option was not the standard. I just don't think that many people, myself included, would complain about minor things, and, more importantly, things that they did not know about - I know what the service standards are from this forum, but the majority of the passengers might have thought that that was it. I agree with you that coming to this forum to complain is worse than raising an issue onboard, but if I don't feel like complaining because it is a non-issue should I say something if I know that it is against the standard or should I mind my own business?

Can I help you

You only have one chance to get things right and personally I would like to be told if I didn't know something or if I was doing something incorrectly.

henkybaby

Sorry, formulated it badly. It is very unlikely that you never had a "bloody awful experience", or as we call it: rated 6 or below out of 10.

I would say that I like KLM crews the best (matter of taste) but I have had bloody awful crews. Can't be prevented. So if someone says "I never had a bad experience" then either their sample size is very small or they have rose tinted glasses.

It doesn't help people in the service industry either. They know that they will sometimes screw up and they need to (and often want to) have feedback. They do this job because they want to 'fly and to serve'. Most of them want to know how to do better and when they messed up, as CIHY also says.

So in customer service improvement the people who find that everything is always good are discarded. Better therefore to be critical. Unless you really never had a poor experience... In that case: congrats!

Andriyko

But what if it does not bother me as a passenger? What if I do not want to come across as complaining or if I don't want to get a member of the cabin crew in trouble? I mean, there are times when a complaint is warranted (when someone is rude) and there are times when I think it is a non-issue (although some people may find even trivial things worthy of a complaint). I can't just approach a SCCM and tell them that a member of their crew is doing something not according to the standard even when it does not bother me in the slightest... How do you approach this? And what would they think if I am not complaining but pointing out some shortfalls? i mean - who am I to do that? I only know things from FT (and, of course, from flying BA a lot).

Lite

It's not about getting somebody into trouble. If, as you said, you had been on a flight where duty free wasn't offered or the crew were lacking in knowledge, I'd probably rather have someone say to me exactly what's happened. As you say "I've had a lovely flight but just to let you know I wanted some gin and the crew weren't sure if there actually was some." I'd be sure to have a quick chat, nothing more, no putting things on people's files or going at them, just a quick reminder that actually we've let someone down or slightly marred an otherwise great trip because of poor product knowledge. It's a learning curve and we can all move on from it. I'd counter balance it by saying it's always great to be told also when things have gone really well or people have gone the extra mile.

Andriyko

Thank you for clarifying that Lite! I just wanted to make sure that mentioning something would not result in a member of the cabin crew being reprimanded or something. As I said, I know when to complain but when something does not affect me having an otherwise great flight I think it is petty to complain. But if me saying something helps improve the service I may do it... I just do not want to come across as complaining. I just don't think it is my place to say 'of, you're actually supposed to have three choices for the breakfast' What if the flight was miscatered?

Can I help you

It's how and why you give the feedback, given as Lite suggests would be the way I would recommend.

Globaliser

So what should I do if it's the CSD who's sure that there are no tea bags of decaffeinated tea on board?

That one sorted itself out, though: he was back 5 minutes later with a steaming hot mug of the stuff, having found them, plus profuse and charming apologies.

Can I help you

Telling someone politely that they may not have realised that we now have them onboard shouldn't be a problem.

Andriyko

One of the reasons that I kept my mouth shut was that we were connecting from a flight from EWR, and the CSM there was fantastic. And by 'fantastic' I mean absolutely amazing and wonderful (and so were the entire crew). And, in all of 16 or 17 years that I have been flying BA the last KBP flight was the only occasion when I noticed that something was not up to the book, so saying something felt like it would make me a complete a** as everybody makes mistakes and everyone learns on the job. I mean, if it was something horrible I would have opened my mouth of course. I see your point Can I help you, but I, as a passenger, never know whether my comment would be taken as a complaint or as a simple remark. I had incidents before when I mentioned something (on various airlines) without meaning to complain and the crew started apologizing and offered complaint forms, and I felt really embarrassed as that was not my intention. So, I am never sure how I am going to come across with what I say.

P.S. (and I know this is really really way off the topic) Once we landed, the hottest First Officer emerged from the cockpit to say good-bye to the passengers, and I forgave BA everything...

Jonathan1974

My comments are addressed to other passengers and I shall not engage with defensive/abusive comments from employees of the company. I do not have to justify why I travel on certain routes. The suggestion that customers can choose other airlines if they are not overjoyed by mixed fleet crews on BA is nonsensical: in one of the most competitive businesses, large airlines like BA do everything to minimise or eliminate competition. I too have come across excellent mixed fleet cabin crew ( some of whom are deeply embittered by the conditions and policies defining their work conditions). Nevertheless 2 C grades at GCE level, no knowledge of a foreign language, insufficient communication skills, inexperience, inarticulate use of English and,most impirtantly, exhaustion among cabin crew members will result in BA losing its historical position among leading international airlines. 'Upbeat', 'enthusiastic' and young do not last forever and the desire of mixed fleet crew members to leave BA within a year or two after starting their jobs speaks for itself. And yes: all my colleagues agree that service on worldwide and euro fleet are markedly superior.

msm2000uk

The irony of spelling the word 'importantly' wrong, while discussing the level of English spoken and comprehended by the MF crew...

You may want to address your own grasp of punctuation and grammar, not to mention spelling, before critiquing member of the BA crew who are all hard-working individuals.

BA.MF.CSM

I have to say that you are absolutely entitled to your opinion. I just don't buy the fact that you don't work for BA. The tone of vitriol contained in your various posts, and the little tidbits of knowledge regarding procedures on our fleet could only come from someone connected to our partner fleets.

At the end of the day, if you tell yourself a situation is going to be bad, your mind will only look out for all of the negative variables within that situation, clouding your ability to pick up on the positives.

I have stopped taking to heart comments on this forum, as everyone should have their say. What I do know are the facts:

1. Mixed Fleet consistently outperform the other fleets on our customer voice scores.
2. I have 15 years' flying experience, a degree and 2 foreign languages under my belt.
3. Leading from the top in a positive, engaging way, empowering my teams on the day to deliver exceptional service, is the order of my day, and of many of my peers.
4. I have actual experience of a MF hater on here, only to have called them out as I was operating their CAI the very next day! Poster came back on here and duly restated their blanket negative opinions on my fleet in a much more positive light.

Good and bad, exceptional and unacceptable, experienced and new, all human and most wanting to do the best job they can.

Make good choices.

Kind regards

BA.MF.CSM

PUCCI GALORE

I thought the same - I think that this is the person that would have us believe that there were half drunk people working aboard a BA aircraft. I could search but it is not worth the effort. One has a notion that axes are being grinded but beyond that I neither know nor care.

I for one am sick to death of these constant hammerings about MF fleet. My own findings is that apart from a level of inexperience, everyone was pleasant, friendly, and wanting to please. If people have an issue, they should take it up there and then, assuming it is not something exaggerated out of all proportion to make a twenty page thread here. As we have all said, if you don't like BA - don't fly them. However, there are and always have been people who whatever they may say are clearly beholden to a company policy over which they have no say.

What I have to say to anyone from MF is this - you will never please everyone all the time and there are those for whom nothing is good enough. 98% of your clientele have not the first idea to which fleet you belong, and 100% of those couldn't care less. God speed all the Fleets, in spite of the circus that calls itself BA Management.

There! Now I am just in the mood to tackle that woman in the market in Nice who sold me those overpriced underflavoured melons last Saturday.